Head of School Position Statement

Posi%on Statement

Head of School Search

Montessori Center School

Goleta, California

Start Date: July 1, 2024

Montessori Center School of Santa Barbara

Head of School Search Position Statement

OVERVIEW

Montessori Center School of Santa Barbara is a 3ght-knit and inclusive community of teachers, administrators, staff, parents, and students nestled amid blossoming gardens, shade trees and an abundant variety of both indoor and outdoor learning spaces. Founded in 1965, the school provides students ages 18 months through 12 years old with a high quality, compelling Montessori educa3on in a suppor3ve and nurturing environment. Teachers place children at the center, holding their happy, healthy growth and learning with kind-hearted, open, and warm respect. Classrooms hum with produc3ve children immersed in well-designed academic challenges, while teachers stoke each child’s curiosi3es and passions in an individualized program. The school seeks an inspired and collabora3ve leader, who will priori3ze the needs of teachers and students, capitalizing on the many strengths of the school while facing its challenges with forthright and strategic determina3on.

MISSION

“Our mission is to honor and develop the whole child from 18 months through 6th grade. We provide a nurturing educa<onal environment authen<c to Montessori principles by fostering independent, compassionate, respecAul, self-mo<vated, crea<ve lifelong learners who will become posi<ve forces to care for and transform our world.”

CORE VALUES

Development of the Whole Child: We nurture the social, emo<onal, mental, spiritual and physical development of children to prepare them for life.

Academic Excellence: We create a rich academic environment in which students achieve their full poten<al as independent, curious, and resourceful thinkers and learners.

Learner Empowerment: Through collabora<on and individualized support, we guide students’ love of learning through explora<on and the unique expression of their interests, skills and talents.

Family and Community: Through the Montessori principle of grace and courtesy, we engage as a suppor<ve community by living the mission of Montessori Center School

Respect for All: We cul<vate respect for self, others, our environment, and our global community.

“The primary goal of a Montessori educa<on is to help each child reach his or her full poten<al in all areas of life. The child’s emo<onal, social, spiritual, physical and cogni<ve needs and interests are considered to be inseparable and of equal importance.” —American Montessori Society

Montessori Center School of Santa Barbara Head of School Search, July 1, 2024

Montessori Center School of Santa Barbara Head of School Search Position Statement

STRENGTHS AND DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS OF

•MCS boasts a highly experienced and creden3aled teaching faculty, dedicated to the compelling Montessori ideals, and eager to translate these ideals into the lives of children.

• A nimble, flexible, and experienced administra3ve leadership team manages the school; the two Associate Heads of School have a combined 31 years of experience at MCS.

• Specialists in the subjects of Art, Drama, Library, Computer Skills, Music, Physical Educa3on, and Spanish provide enriched learning and crea3ve growth for children.

• A trained, dedicated, and responsive learning specialist works to enhance the learning environment for both students and teachers.

• The teacher to student ra3o in pre-primary is 1:6, and 1:12 in primary and elementary.

• Upper elementary students, 4th-6th grade have the opportunity to par3cipate in interscholas3c soccer, basketball, volleyball and flag football.

• MCS has built a compe33ve salary scale and generous benefits package for faculty and staff.

• The school’s STEAM program is being developed in a fully ou]i^ed STEAM laboratory.

• MCS’s involved Board of Trustees includes results-oriented commi^ee work and deep dedica3on to the health and vigor of the school.

• Staff ensure strong “next school” prepara3on; the school’s graduates flourish and remain engaged and commi^ed to MCS.

• Students embrace experien3al learning both in and out of the classroom. Lower Elementary students enjoy two overnight camping trips, while Upper Elementary students take mul3night trips to Yosemite, Astrocamp and the Santa Barbara Channel Islands.

• The school’s commitment to the Montessori ideal of “grace and courtesy” is evident in students’ personal and social development; children at the school are engaged, polite and kind.

Montessori Center School of Santa Barbara Head of School Search, July 1, 2024

Montessori Center School of Santa Barbara Head of School Search Position Statement

CAMPUS

In 1997, the school leased a five-acre campus from the Goleta Unified School district and has created a network of portables that house spacious, light-filled classrooms that more than meet the needs of the school’s 18-monthold through 6th grade students. There is a STEAM room, library, art studio, mul3-purpose room with a stage, and rooms dedicated to before-and-aeer-school care. The most deligh]ul aspects of the school campus are its gardens; each room has both play and workspace out-ofdoors with the Santa Ynez mountains and Los Padres wilderness as a backdrop. The campus feels tucked away and quiet—an oasis for learning and play. Admissions materials accurately describe how the “beau3fully designed campus and invi3ng classrooms convey a sense of order and harmony.”

COMMUNITY

Trustees: Montessori Center School is managed by a small group of trustees (13) who are all (but one) current parents. The board has seven commi^ees (execu3ve, finance, strategic planning, commi^ee on trustees, site, development, and marke3ng) and a history of excellent leadership. Some years ago the board made the decision to purchase an 11-acre property in the hopes of building a permanent home for the school. With zoning and financial challenges (it is currently zoned agricultural), there are ac3ve ques3ons about the best strategic move; the board hopes to expand and explore op3ons for a future site.

Parents: The school parent community is ac3vely engaged at the school, with an organized community of volunteers (Montessori Parent Organiza3on, MPO) who support teachers, organize the much-loved Harvest Fes3val and Jog-a-Thon, work 3relessly to plan an auc3on/gala fundraiser, and gather together for “STEAM night” that celebrates the new facility, the product of parent fundraising. Parents step up enthusias3cally when

Montessori Center School of Santa Barbara Head of School Search, July 1, 2024

Montessori Center School of Santa Barbara Head of School Search Position Statement

asked to assist teachers with field trips and special learning experiences, and create special staff apprecia3on events. There is deep enthusiasm for the school program and community, especially its “down-to-earth” ethos; MCS parents enjoy the sense that the school is a simple, grounded place for families to flourish.

Faculty: The teaching team is extraordinarily strong and effec3ve. All of MCS’s head classroom teachers have Montessori training creden3als or are in the process of comple3ng their training. All faculty and staff are dedicated to the mission and core values of the school and enjoy autonomy designing curriculum for their students. There are specialists in art, music, physical educa3on, Spanish, library, and technology. The school’s most experienced teacher has been in the classroom for over 30 years, while others have joined the team during or shortly aeer the pandemic. The school supports professional development, underwri3ng the cost of Montessori training for teachers new to the par3culars of Maria Montessori’s philosophy and prac3ce.

Students: In true Montessori tradi3on, the school is divided into four age groups: Pre-Primary (ages 18 months to 3 yrs.) Primary (ages 3 to 5) Lower Elementary (ages 6-9, grades 1 through 3) and Upper Elementary (ages 9-12, grades 4 through 6) with mixed-age classrooms at all levels. Students love the school, bounding in each morning, and leaving reluctantly at the end of the school day. They are clearly and completely “at home” when they are at MCS; every student is known, and both parents and students relish the 3ght bonds that connect the community. With mixed-age classrooms, students form las3ng friendships. One of the hallmarks of Montessori educa3on—kind and open support of one another—is visible throughout the Montessori Center School community. Families bring racial, ethnic, religious, educa3onal and professional diversity to the MCS community. Over 30% of families are people of color.

“MCS won us over at first visit with the calming beauty of its campus, the sincerity of its teachers, the variety of extracurricular classes, and its size, which seemed just right—not so big that there was no sense of community, but not so small that that it felt insular or clique-ish. We also appreciated that MCS did not exude any sense of pretension or extravagance. If it did, we would have felt out of place.”

—MCS family

Montessori Center School of Santa Barbara Head of School Search, July 1, 2024

Montessori Center School of Santa Barbara Head of School Search Position Statement

OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES

Montessori Center School of Santa Barbara is ready and excited about the next phase of the school’s journey. While there are challenges to face, there is most definitely a “li^le engine that could” spirit and energy that abounds across cons3tuencies. The school is hungry for its excep3onal program to con3nue to thrive; there is palpable energy and openness to face the hard decisions and move the school forward. Key opportuni3es and challenges include:

CommunicaBon: Excellent, open and frequent communica3on both internally and externally is both an opportunity and a challenge at Montessori Center School. Amongst faculty there is a shared sense that more effec3ve communica3on on rou3ne ma^ers will make daily life much more efficient; robust conversa3on about substan3ve ma^ers will lie engagement and morale. Regular and though]ul communica3ons to parents and the broader community from the Head of School (and other members of the leadership and teaching team) will help parents feel a part of the community and understand the pedagogy

and prac3ces at MCS. Highly effec3ve communica3on for the external community will tout the researched benefits of the Montessori philosophy and help parents navigate through the myths and inevitable ques3ons about Montessori prac3ces as they choose a school for their children.

Enrollment and tuiBon: The school currently has 200 students and has capacity for 270; as recently as 2022-23 the enrollment was 233 and peaked at 244 a few years prior to that. Historically, some families leave the school for kindergarten in public or other independent schools. There are few (if any) applicants for the open kindergarten spaces in the mixed primary classroom. Some students also leave aeer 5th grade, seeking larger peer groups in middle school. The next Head of School will face a complex marke3ng and outreach challenge, as well as a more internally focused effort to engage all members of the faculty and staff in improving reten3on and bolstering the recruitment of new families.Tui3on in the elementary program at MCS is significantly lower than other independent schools in the area. The next Head of School will need to join with fellow administrators and the board to study the demographic, geographic and market reali3es, striving to be^er posi3on the school

Montessori Center School of Santa Barbara Head of School Search, July 1, 2024

Montessori

Center School of

Santa Barbara Head of School Search Position Statement

for op3mal enrollment and set tui3on at a marketappropriate rate. Several of the key assump3ons about enrollment and tui3on will merit rigorous analysis.

Equity: Efforts are under way to build equity in the compensa3on of teachers and staff. A careful load analysis, full benefits study and further efforts to openly communicate the comp guidelines will build trust and morale amongst the faculty, staff, and administra3ve team.

Site: The school has rented its facili3es for 58 years. Currently it leases its campus from Goleta Unified School District. With an eye to long-term sustainability, the next head of Montessori Center School will join the board of trustees in exploring opportuni3es to find a permanent home or nego3ate further stability in its arrangement with GUSD.

Fundraising: Montessori Center School is eager to ramp up its fundraising, building both capacity and inclusion in its Annual Fund and Gala, and exploring more ambi3ous fundraising capacity for longer-term strategic goals.

Team-and-Trust-Building: The next MCS leader will promote harmonious and construc3ve rela3onships among all of MCS’s professional staff by establishing an atmosphere of collabora3ve team building and planning. By placing emphasis on an organiza3onal culture that permits diversity, equity and inclusivity among all members of the faculty and staff, the next Head of School will foster produc3ve working condi3ons, suppor3ng training and robust professional development of all faculty and staff.

Financial and Strategic Planning: The next Head of School will join with the board of trustees (as well as the Associate Head of School, Director of Finance & Opera3ons, and Director of Admissions) to carefully steward the school’s finances, serng and overseeing budgets that focus resources on teaching and learning and ensuring that the school enjoys long-term, financial stability. Strategic ini3a3ves, whether related to the long-term site, or to fundamental financial underpinnings of the school (tui3on, financial aid, enrollment in the four divisions) will be central work of the partnership between the Head of School and Board of Trustees.

Montessori Center School of Santa Barbara Head of School Search, July 1, 2024

Montessori Center School of Santa Barbara Head of School Search Position Statement

THE POSITION

The ideal candidate for the headship of Montessori Center School will be an educator who is familiar with and willing to embrace and deepen understanding of the Montessori approach. The next Head of School will need to be a warm and accessible presence, a collabora3ve and engaging team leader, an astute strategic and financial planner, and a “natural” marketer and storyteller. Communica3on skills will be paramount, as well as a demonstrated skill at working with all cons3tuencies of the school community: trustees, teachers, students, parents and alumni. In addi3on, a willingness to reach out and connect the school in a meaningful way with other independent schools, both in the Santa Barbara area and beyond, will be important in determining the strategic direc3on of the school.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Montessori Center School has retained Resource Group 175 (RG175) to support the search for its next Head of School. To apply, interested candidates should prepare a cover le^er, a current resume, and a personal statement and submit these materials online at: hbps:// rg175.com/candidate/login.

For an ini3al inquiry or to nominate a poten3al candidate for this exci3ng leadership posi3on, please contact RG175 consultant Catherine Hunter cshunter33@gmail.com

Applica%on Deadline: Monday, October 30, 2023

Start Date: July 1, 2024

Montessori Center School does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, sexual iden<ty, age, religion or any other characteris<c protected under applicable federal, state or local law.

Montessori Center School of Santa Barbara Head of School Search, July 1, 2024